Image caption, Gloucester Avenue, Salisbury Avenue and Cumberland Avenue were closed and police asked people to avoid the area Published31 December 2025 Homes have been evacuated and a 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of explosives offences after potentially dangerous material was found in Blackpool. Dozens of residents were made to leave their homes after Lancashire Police found "a quantity of items of concern" which turned out to be improvised firework explosives at the property in Gloucester Avenue at 11:30 GMT. Two other streets – St Albans Road and Cumberland Avenue – were also affected, the council said, with some people sent to Stanley Park Sports Centre. A council spokesman said the residents were allowed back to their homes at about 20:30 GMT. Lancashire Police said officers, including specialists from Explosive Ordnance Disposal, were sent to the property to assess the items and make them safe. The cordon has now been lifted but a police presence will remain at the scene overnight.
Published: December 31, 2025 4:34 pm
Source: BBC — Read original